DCP as symbol/placeholder

[_beastie]

Nehor,

With rare exceptions, I think even most believers wouldn't take you seriously. I also don't have the impression you take yourself seriously here, either.

[Guest]

Yes, this board does have behavior that could easily drive away critics as well as believers. There have been times in the past I considered abandoning it, myself.

But that is the cost of having a loosely moderated board. There really is no ideal solution, or, sometimes, even a good solution to this dilemma. As NG pointed out, religious debates tend to bring out the worst in people, anyway - there's a reason it's not considered a "polite" topic in real life.

I think that posters do try, at times, to "police" the behavior of others on this board. But it's usually to no avail, and you get to the point where ignoring the bad behavior seems preferable because then the bad behavior doesn't get rewarded with a lot of attention.

I don't know the answer. I do think Tarski's OP has a great deal of truth in it, and I also think some of DCP's behavior encourages this phenomenon.

This board is what it is - an alternative to the tightly and openly biased moderation of MAD, which is the atmosphere most believers prefer. So we have what we have - a board dominated by critics, and some defenders of the faith who are really so ridiculous I doubt most believers would take them seriously, some wavering believers who often defend portions of the faith, and DCP who prefers to deal with the "evil incarnate" type of threads instead of serious criticisms of LDS truth claims. His attention to the "evil incarnate" is at least part of the reason they're so popular. I'm not saying he shouldn't defend himself, I'm just saying no one should be surprised that those threads are popular when they're the threads DCP prefers, himself.

I actually don't think that we should be held responsible for the behavior of other posters - or even police their behavior, necessarily. Yet, I don't think it's really fair that Dr. Peterson is asked to account for any behavior other than his own. I certainly don't want to be held responsible for Droopy, or Mercury (love ya Merc!) simply because I post here.

I think Dr. Peterson is sort of in a catch 22. He replies to comments and he's told that he likes the attention. He doesn't reply and he's accused on not wanting to engage critics. I would hope he'd actually engage critics on substantive topics and then maybe the rest of the personal attacks would cease. Yet, if the majority of the posts on this board are personal attacks I don't fault him for responding to them when he sees fit.

[_Tarski]

some defenders of the faith who are really so ridiculous I doubt most believers would take them seriously, some wavering believers who often defend portions of the faith, and DCP who prefers to deal with the "evil incarnate" type of threads instead of serious criticisms of LDS truth claims.

Which one am I?

Did you once seriously assert that you had conversed in person with exhalted beings who were already Gods of their own universes. I have a vague memory of such. If so, then I have an answer for you.

[_The Nehor]

Which one am I?

Did you once seriously assert that you had conversed in person with exhalted beings who were already Gods of their own universes. I have a vague memory of such. If so, then I have an answer for you.

Not conversed with, just saw, at least on the occasion I related.

[_The Nehor]

Nehor,

With rare exceptions, I think even most believers wouldn't take you seriously. I also don't have the impression you take yourself seriously here, either.

I would consider taking just about anything on this board seriously a sign of madness so I'll take that as a compliment.

[_Tarski]

Not conversed with, just saw, at least on the occasion I related.

Like I can see Micky mouse if I close my eyes and try or more like I can see my wife if I look in her direction?

My take is that you are a bit unhinged but in a relaxed way and not in a frenetic way. I don't think most Mormons would take some of your assertions as anything less than phantasmagoria. But they would be employing a double standard since they would not take such a reasonable approach to the statements of one Joseph Smith Junior.

[_The Nehor]

Not conversed with, just saw, at least on the occasion I related.

Like I can see Micky mouse if I close my eyes and try or more like I can see my wife if I look in her direction?

My take is that you are a bit unhinged but in a relaxed way and not in a frenetic way. I don't think most Mormons would take some of your assertions as anything less than phantasmagoria. But they would be employing a double standard since they would not take such a reasonable approach to the statements of one Joseph Smith Junior.

Well, I was shown in a vision. So not like either of those. Saw in the sense that I saw it but not with normal sight.

Well, at least if I believe my phantasmagoria I guess I'm being consistent. Hooray Me!

[_Yong Xi]

I am confident that DCP is a pretty good guy. I do believe it is his nature to delight in taking contrarian positions, however. Many here do that. I would even bet that Scratch is a nice fellow in person. The internet can bring out the worst in people. I sense a certain amount of passive/aggressive behavior (myself included) on internet boards.

Having said this, I am not in favor of a group hug.

[Guest]

I think Dr. Peterson is sort of in a catch 22. He replies to comments about his behavior and he's told that he likes the attention. He doesn't reply and he's accused on not wanting to engage critics.

DCP is perfectly free to engage critics on more substantive issues. He then could not be involved in epic exchanges about his character and also be free of the charge of not engaging critics. He just zeros in on those sort of conversations 'cause that's his preference. And contrary to some claims, he doesn't avoid substantive argument as a rule. He mainly just avoids the brighter/informed critics and/or sticks to the issues where his side has a good playing field, like whether it is proper to call Mormons Christians.

DCP also eggs on attacks or, sometimes, just casts himself as a victim of offense when their was none. When he posted under the alias "Freethinker" on ZLMB, denying that he was DCP and with plenty of people unaware that is who he was, he had the exact same issues and the exact same posting style. Brant Gardner, Kevin Christenson, Ben McGuire, Clark Goble, etc. don't have this problem and the reason just isn't DCP's symbolic status.

[_Moniker]

I am confident that DCP is a pretty good guy. I do believe it is his nature to delight in taking contrarian positions, however. Many here do that. I would even bet that Scratch is a nice fellow in person. The internet can bring out the worst in people. I sense a certain amount of passive/aggressive behavior (myself included) on internet boards.

Having said this, I am not in favor of a group hug.

I used to be all for group hugs. Now the song in my sig line is precisely how I feel about most people I interact with.... I'd rather deal with aggression than passive aggressiveness. :)